San Francisco (AFP)
Defense associations of black Americans and civil society have launched a boycott of Facebook by advertisers during the month of July, to obtain better regulation of groups inciting hatred, racism or violence.
"What could Facebook do with its $ 70 billion in advertising revenue? Could they protect and support their black users? Could they classify Holocaust denial as hatred? They could, but they choose not to" , the associations proclaimed on Twitter Wednesday.
Called #StopHateForProfit ("No to hate for profits"), this campaign is notably supported by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), ColorOfChange, ADL (Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish organization), FreePress and Sleeping Giants.
They broadcast their appeal on the networks and also via an insert in the Los Angeles Times, published by other newspapers.
"Today, we ask all companies in solidarity with the American values of freedom, equality and justice not to advertise Facebook services in July," said the announcement.
"Let's send a powerful message to Facebook: your profits are not worth promoting hatred, intolerance, racism, anti-Semitism and violence."
The associations criticize in particular Facebook for having included the Breitbart site, close to the American far right, among its media partners for its news feed.
More recently, they have not accepted the refusal of boss Mark Zuckerberg to moderate polemical messages from Donald Trump, considered by Twitter, many observers and Facebook employees as falling under the incitement to violence.
The president's messages focused on the protests and riots that followed the death of George Floyd, an African-American asphyxiated by a white police officer in Minneapolis.
This murder led to an unprecedented mobilization, in the streets and on the networks, to protest against systemic racism.
Many companies have since announced donations or launched initiatives to show solidarity with these movements, including Facebook.
© 2020 AFP